Jeff Hafley Speaks On Time at Boston College During Dolphins Introductory Press Conference

Former Boston College football head coach Jeff Hafley has picked up his second head coaching job in his career.

Earlier in the week, he was hired by the Miami Dolphins to serve as the organization’s next head coach. The Dolphins held his introductory press conference on Thursday.

We have agreed to terms with Jeff Hafley to become our head coach. pic.twitter.com/boqhQH9jxK
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) January 20, 2026

During the presser, the Montvale, N.J., native spoke about his time at Boston College and what he learned during his four seasons on the Heights.

“A 40-year-old head coach who, you know, we just left the playoffs at Ohio State where I was the coordinator and my first week on the job [at Boston College], or my first month on the job, COVID hits. So I had to learn that everybody's got a plan until you get punched in the face,” said Hafley. “And I got punched pretty hard. And what I learned about myself is you can get through anything if you get organized, you get detailed, and you go one step at a time, and you just go to work. And you surround yourself with a really good staff and you pour into your players and you bring that energy.

“And I learned a ton,” said Hafley. “I had to do a lot there. I had to do academics, I had to worry about nutrition and residence halls and everything you can name it, and deal with the Board of Regents, and I had to be a CEO. And I'll take a lot with that from there to me here. I made mistakes as a young coach, which you're gonna make, in a lot of different ways and I learned from them over those four years.”

Hafley was named the 36th head coach at Boston College on Dec. 14, 2019, and spent four seasons with the Eagles before leaving to become the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers.

The 46-year-old emphasized that it was not easy, but that chapter of his career helped him evolve as a coach.

“We had some hard years,” said Hafley. “We had some really good years. But I think those experiences will help me out a lot as I go forward and I've grown and I've matured and I have learned and I can admit those mistakes and I grow from them so they won't happen again here. So I take a lot with me for those four years and I wouldn't trade them.”

Hafley also spoke about why he decided to depart Chestnut Hill for the NFL and shared that the changing world of college football was the main reason behind the move.

“At the end of the day, I wanted to coach football and there was a lot going on that really wasn't allowing me to do that anymore,” said Hafley. “The landscape had changed with NIL and the portal and everything else that came in. And when Matt [LaFleur] called with an opportunity, that was really hard for me to leave. Really hard to leave the staff and leave the players.

“But talking to my wife and really thinking things through, I want to coach football,” said Hafley. “It's all I ever dreamed of. And I wasn't doing that anymore and I didn't feel like I was myself anymore. So, we decided it was what was best and ultimately I wanted to be a head coach again in this league. So, I bet on myself. I took the job and now I'm sitting here.”

Additionally, he thanked the coaches and players that he has worked with throughout his career, including the ones at Boston College.

“I want to thank all the coaches that I’ve ever been around from WPI to Boston College to every NFL team and I want to thank the players," said Hafley. "Because I wouldn’t be here without those players. I learned more from players than I’ve learned from coaches and I hope they feel that way with me cause the thing that I got into this for was changing lives and there’s so many of those players that changed my life too.”

Hafley joins an organization that went 7-10 overall and finished third in the AFC East in 2025.

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